Bunching attachment for potato-diggers.



DH. SCHLEGEL.

BUNCHTNG ATTACHMENT Fos PoTATo DTGGERS-- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23.198

1,296,562., Patented Mar. 4,1919.

f 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@vih/Temes QQ! n'. H. SCHLAEGEL. l BUNCHING ATACHMENT FOR POTATO DIGGERS.

AP'PLICATION FILED MAR. 23. l9l8` Patente Mar. 4,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@wi/[Mmes E @www I a citizen of the United ido potato diggers tacle andthe means improved bunching v Improvements in iiNiTnn sTATns TATENT orrion.

DANIEL n. sci-ILAEGEL, or WADENA, MINNESOTA.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that/I, DANIEL I-I. SGHLAEGEL, States, residingY at Wadena, in the county of Ottertail and State of Minnesota, have Vrinvented new-and useful Bunching Attachments for Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to launching attachments for potato diggers, and especiallyforY of the shaker type lthat are vine separating lattachments providedwith although the invention is capable of being usefully applied to other types of diggers that are equipped with means for elevating the potatoes before discharging the same.

The invention has for its object to produce a simple and convenient bunching attachment which may be readily applied to and connected with the potato digger for the purpose of receiving the potatoes until a sulficient quantity has been accumulated, vthe saine being then discharged in a pile on the ground for convenience in subsequent gathering. l

A further obj ect of the invention isto simplify and improve the construction of the bunching receptacle and a means for connecting the same with a potato digger.

A further objectofthe invention is to simplify -and improve for discharging the contents of the same.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear asthe Vnature of the' invention is better understood, the'same conv illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the recise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.l

In the drawing,-'- i Figure lis a view in side elevation of the attachment.

Fig. 2 is a side, elevation of the same as seen fromv the opposite side, and the supporting wheels being omitted.

Fig; 3 is a top plan view .f ofthe device as seen in Fig. 1. e

Specicationof Letters .Eatent..V

the bunching recep- BUNCHING liicifracriiviENT rou roTATo-DIGGERS.

longitudinal vertical sectional Fig. 4 'is a view showing thedevice in dumping or disp Patented Mar. L1, 1919.y Application iiled March 23, 1918. Serial No. 224,335. i

. device comprises `a box or lar shape. but which may-be madeof any desired shapefand dimensions. Secured on the external faces of the side walls 15 of said box are brackets or bearing members the front wall 20 of said box so as to permit the forward portion of the bottommember to tilt upwardly within the box. The shaft 17 is located well to the forward of the box or receptacle and the rear wall 21 of saidreceptacle has a hinged door 22 on thebottomv edge of which the rearward ends `of the slats 1 8 will tion, thereby limiting the tilting movement of the bottom member Bin Vone direction.

Supporting bars C are provided, one at, each side of the box or receptacle, said supporting bars having front and rear portions 23, 24 and intermediate portions or offsets 25 whereby posed in a plane materiallyv higher than that of the rearwardportion 24.l The rearward ends of the supporting bars C are connected by bolts 26 With the sidewalls 15 of the receptacle nearI the upper rear corners of said side walls. Vertical bars or braces 27 are firmly secured on the side walls -of the receptacle adjacent to the forward ends thereof, saidl barsV or'braces being extended materially above the top edge of thev receptacle andV connectedby means of bolts 28 with the oset portions 25 of the supporting y16, the; same being extended below the lower edges of the box to afcrdbearabut when said door is in closed posi-r the forward portions 23y are disbars C, the latter and the Abox or. receptacle being thus rigidly sustained with respect to each other. The forward ,end portions 23 of the supportingl bars C are V to be secured in.k

anyconvenient manner on ythe frame of the potato digger, a portion of which appears at D, the parts being so proportioned and the weightof the box or receptacle and its Vof moving the tilting contents it may be desirable to provide wheels as seen at 29 in the several figures with the exception of Fig. 2, said wheels being :mounted on-journals 30 carried by brackets or braces 31 whichare secured on the external vfaces of the side walls ofthe box near the rearward end thereof. t

The shaft 17 is provided near one end thereof with a radially extending arm 32 which 'is .connected by a link 33 with one arm 34 of a bell crank E which is supported on a pivotmember 35; lthe other arm 3G has a slot 37 engaging a 'pin 38 thatfextends.

from the door 22.- 'It willthus be seen that when the lshaft 17 is rocked for the purpose bottom memberB to a dischargingposition, -the'door 22 will be at the same time swung open, as shown in Fig. 6, to facilitate a quick discharge of the contents of the box. Conversely, when the bottom member is moved to a closed position shut until-the lower edge thereof lies in the path of the rearward ends of the-slatsv 18 ofthe bottom member, thereby affordinga'tight closure. y Any dirt ad- 1 vhering to the vrpotatoes or carriedV with the Y potatoes into the box or receptacle A will be `free to escape between the slats and the bottom member. y

AFor the purpose of rockingvthe shaft 17 'to actuate'the bottom member B and the door 22 said'shaft is provided withla crank 39 with which lis connected one end of a flexible element such as a chain 40 the other endof which is connected with one end of a-rod V41 which is slidably supported Vin brackets 42 whichmay be bolted or otherwise suitably secured on a portion of the frame D of the potato digger in connection with which the improved bunching attachment is used. The forward end of the rod 41 may be connected by means of a link 43 with lanarm 44 extending radially from a rock shaft 45 which is supported by a y bracket 46 mounted in any convenient'position on the potato digger, said vrock shaft having a treadle 47 on which the operator may place his foot for the purpose of sustaining the bottomV of the bunching receptacle in bclosed position.

will gravitationally swing open, but it may be restored to closed position4 by pro-per pressure exerted on the treadle.` described for actuating the shaft 17 which carries the bottom rmember B'- is` merely suggestive and may be altered and modified to suit the particular construction of the digger y When the operator vmoves his 4foot from the treadle, the door The means j ust diggers,

ai Connection with which 'the imprvea deposited in the boxor receptacle A which Y is carried by the supporting bars C Vbut which maybe additionallyr supported byl the ground wheels 29` When a sufficient load has been accumulated vthe same is discharged in apileon the ground after ywhich the bottom member 'B and the door 22 of the receptacle'are quickly restored to closed position without interrupting the operation of the digger. -The improved device is very simple and inexpensive,and itin-ay be readily attached to or a-ssembledlwith a potato digger ofi-almostl any-'well known construction. f-

'I rclaim z- Y Y Y A1.' In a bunching attachment for potato diggers,'a bunching receptacle, aV shaft extending transversely beneath the receptacle, a tiltablebottom member carried by said shaft, a yswingingly supported door forming a member of the rear wall .of the receptacle, Y said door having a laterallyextending pin, a bell crank -fulcrumed on the receptacle and having a slotted `arm engaging said pin, a crank on the transverse shaft,rand a link connecting said crank at the other end 0f the bell crank. l Y Y t f v 2. In a bunching attachment -for potato diggers,=a bunching receptacle, supporting bars having intermediate o'setsfwhereby;l the forward portionsof said bars are disposed ina plane above that ofthe rearward por; tionsV thereof, means Vconnecting the rear,- ward ends of the supporting barstwith the receptacle, vertical bra-ces secured 'externally on the side walls of the receptacle at the forward ends thereof and-extending materially above the receptacle, and means rigidly connecting 'the upper ends vof the brac-eswith the offset portions of the supporting bars. Y

3. "In a. bunching lattacment for potato diggers, a bunchingreceptacle, supporting barsy having intermediate offset-s whereby the forward portions ofsaid bars are disposed ina plane above' that of the rearward portions thereof, means kconnect-ing the rearward ends of the supporting barswiththefreceptacle, vertical braces secured externally on the side walls of the ward ends thereof and extending materially above the receptacle, and means 'rigidly connecting the upper endsof the braces withthe offset portions of the supporting' bars, and groundwheels connected with thereceptacle to assist in supporting the same.

"4. InV a bunching.att'a'chment'for potato a bunching receptacle,l supporting receptacle at the forbars with which said receptacle is rigidly connected, a shaft extending transversely beneath the receptacle, a tiltable bottom member carried by said shaft, a swingingly suported door forming a member of the rear wall of the receptacle, the bottom edge of said door lying in the path of the rearward end of the tiltable bottom member, said door having a laterally extending pin, abell crank fulerumed on the'reo'eptaole and having a slotted arm engaging said pin, a crank on the transverse shaft and a link connecting Vsaid crank with the othery end of the bell crank.

5. In a bunohing attachment for potato diggers, a bunohing receptacle, supporting bars with which said receptacle is rigidly Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Connected, a shaft extending transversely beneath the receptacle, a tiltable bottom member carried by said shaft, a swingingly supported door forming a member of the rear wall of the receptacle, the bottom edge of said door lying in the path of the rearward end of the tiltable bottom member, said door having a laterally extending pin, a bell crank fulerumed on the receptacle and having a:

slotted arm engaging said pin, a crank on the transverse shaft and a link connecting said crank with crank, in combination with means for rontrolling the rocking movement of the shaft carrying the tiltable bottom member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DANIEL H. SCHLAE GEL.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

the other end of the bell 

